Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 74

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(Remember) when Ibrāhīm said to his father, ’Āzar: “Do you take idols for gods? I see you and your people in manifest error.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And ˹remember˺ when Abraham said to his father, Ȃzar, “Do you take idols as gods? It is clear to me that you and your people are entirely misguided.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

And [remember] when Abraham said to his father, Āzar, “Do you take idols as gods? I see that you and your people are clearly misguided.”

A. J. Arberry

And when Abraham said to his father Azar, 'Takest thou idols for gods? I see thee, and thy people, in manifest error.'

Abdul Haleem

Remember when Abraham said to his father, Azar, ‘How can you take idols as gods? I see that you and your people have clearly gone astray.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recall what time Ibrahim said unto his father Azar: takest thou idols for gods! Verily I see thee and thy people in error manifest.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Lo! Abraham said to his father Azar; "Takest thou idols for gods? For I see thee and thy people in manifest error."

Abul Ala Maududi

And recall when Abraham said to his father, Azar: 'Do you take idols for gods? I see you and your people in obvious error.'

Ahmed Ali

Remember when Abraham said to Azar, his father: "Why do you take idols for God? I certainly find you and your people in error."

Ahmed Raza Khan

And remember when Ibrahim said to his father (paternal uncle) Azar, “What! You appoint idols as Gods? Indeed I find you and your people in open error.” (Prophet Ibrahim was rightly guided since birth).

Ali Quli Qarai

When Abraham said to Azar, his father, ‘Do you take idols for gods? Indeed I see you and your people in manifest error.’

Ali Ünal

And (call to mind) when Abraham spoke to his father Azar: "Do you take idols for deities? Indeed, I see you and your people lost in obvious error."

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Recall the time) when Abraham said to his sire, âzar, `Do you worship idols as gods? Surely, I see you and your people (steeped) in clear error.´

English Literal

And when Abraham said to his father, Azar: "Do you take idols (as) gods? That I see you, and your nation in evident misguidance."

Faridul Haque

And remember when Ibrahim said to his father (paternal uncle) Azar, “What! You appoint idols as Gods? Indeed I find you and your people in open error.” (Prophet Ibrahim was rightly guided since birth).

Hamid S. Aziz

Lo! Abraham said to his father Azar, "Do you take idols for gods? Verily, I see you and your people in obvious error."

Hilali & Khan

And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said to his father Azar: "Do you take idols as aliha (gods)? Verily, I see you and your people in manifest error.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth with truth. And when He says, Be, it is. His word is the truth and His is the kingdom on the day when the trumpet is blown. The Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when Ibrahim said to his sire, Azar: Do you take idols for gods? Surely I see you and your people in manifest error.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

(Remember) when Abraham said unto his father Azar: Takest thou idols for gods? Lo! I see thee and thy folk in error manifest.

Muhammad Sarwar

Consider when Abraham asked his father, Azar, "Why do you believe idols to be your gods? I find you and your people in absolute error".

Qaribullah & Darwish

(And remember) when Abraham said to his father Azar: 'Will you take idols for gods, surely I see you and your people are in clear error'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And (remember) when Ibrahim said to his father Azar: "Do you take idols as gods Verily, I see you and your people in manifest error."

Wahiduddin Khan

Remember when Abraham said to his father, Azar, "Do you take idols as your gods? I see that you and your people have clearly gone astray."

Talal Itani

Abraham said to his father Azar, “Do you take idols for gods? I see that you and your people are in evident error.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And, mention, when Abraham said to his father zar, which was his cognomen, his [first] name being Terah (Trikh); `Do you take idols as gods, to worship? (an interrogative meant as a rebuke). I see you and your people, by [this act of] taking them [as gods], in manifest error', far from the truth.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Ibrahim Advises his Father

Ibrahim advised, discouraged and forbade his father from worshipping idols, just as Allah stated,

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَابِيهِ ازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا الِهَةً

And (remember) when Ibrahim said to his father Azar;"Do you take idols as gods!"

meaning, do you worship an idol instead of Allah.

إِنِّي أَرَاكَ وَقَوْمَكَ

Verily, I see you and your people...,

who follow your path,

فِي ضَلَلٍ مُّبِينٍ



in manifest error.

wandering in confusion unaware of where to go. Therefore, you are in disarray and ignorance, and this fact is clear to all those who have sound reason.

Allah also said,

وَاذْكُرْ فِى الْكِتَـبِ إِبْرَهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقاً نَّبِيّاً

إِذْ قَالَ لاًّبِيهِ يأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يَبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِى عَنكَ شَيْياً

يأَبَتِ إِنِّى قَدْ جَأءَنِى مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ فَاتَّبِعْنِى أَهْدِكَ صِرَاطاً سَوِيّاً

يأَبَتِ لاأَ تَعْبُدِ الشَّيْطَـنَ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَـنَ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ عَصِيّاً

يأَبَتِ إِنِّى أَخَافُ أَن يَمَسَّكَ عَذَابٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَـنِ فَتَكُونَ لِلشَّيْطَـنِ وَلِيّاً

قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ الِهَتِى يإِبْرَهِيمُ لَيِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَارْجُمَنَّكَ وَاهْجُرْنِى مَلِيّاً

قَالَ سَلَـمٌ عَلَيْكَ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِى حَفِيّاً

وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَأَدْعُو رَبِّى عَسَى أَلاَّ أَكُونَ بِدُعَأءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّا

And mention in the Book (the Qur'an, the story of) Ibrahim.

Verily! He was a man of truth, a Prophet. When he said to his father;"O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything O my father!

Verily! There has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me. I will guide you to a straight path.

O my father! Worship not Shaytan. Verily! Shaytan has been a rebel against the Most Beneficent (Allah).

O my father! Verily! I fear lest a torment from the Most Beneficent (Allah) overtakes you, so that you become a companion of Shaytan (in the Hell-fire)."

He (the father) said;"Do you reject my gods, O Ibrahim If you stop not (this), I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you."

Ibrahim said;"Peace be on you! I will ask forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily! He is unto me, Ever Most Gracious. And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allah. And I shall call on my Lord; and I hope that I shall not be unanswered in my invocation to my Lord." (19;41-48)

Ibrahim continued asking for forgiveness for his father for the rest of his father's life. When his father died an idolator and Ibrahim realized this fact, he stopped asking Allah for forgiveness for him and disassociated himself from him.

Allah said,

وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَهِيمَ لاًّبِيهِ إِلاَّ عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَأ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ إِبْرَهِيمَ لَاوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ

And invoking for his father's forgiveness was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him. Verily Ibrahim was patient in supplication and forbearing. (9;114)

It was recorded in the Sahih that;

Ibrahim will meet his father Azar on the Day of Resurrection and Azar will say to him, "My son! This Day, I will not disobey you."

Ibrahim will say, "O Lord! You promised me not to disgrace me on the Day they are resurrected; and what will be more disgraceful to me than cursing and dishonoring my father!"

Then Allah will say, "O Ibrahim! Look behind you!"

He will look and there he will see (that his father was changed into) a male hyena covered in dung, which will be caught by the legs and thrown in the (Hell) Fire."
Tawhid Becomes Apparent to Ibrahim

Allah's statement